Tamperproof shipping valve

Abstract

A disposable tamperproof shipping valve for containers of fluids, especially those under pressure. The valve of unitary, one-piece construction incorporates a tamperproof, hermetic seal and includes a means for opening a check valve in an external dispenser for fluid flow control. It is amenable to ready insertion into the filling opening of a fluid shipping container. There, the valve remains sealed until the sealing ring is broken for fluid dispensing and consumption or use.

I claim: 
     
       1. A one-piece shipping valve comprising: a. an integral top portion comprising an open-ended casing and a means for sealably connecting one end of said casing to an external dispensing means, the dispensing means including a check valve;   b. a break-away member comprising a base and a check valve releasing means thereon, said check valve releasing means extending toward said one end of said casing of the top portion and said break-away member being positioned within said casing of said top portion and integrally connected to the inside of said casing through a break-away sealing surface, the sealing surface being rupturable, so as to permit separation of said break-away member from the inside of said casing, on connection of said one end of the casing to the external dispensing means;   c. an integral bottom portion comprising an open-ended casing; a means for sealably connecting one end of said casing to an orifice of a shipping container; a stopping means for preventing said break-away member from falling into a connected shipping container after its separation from the inside of the casing of the top portion; and a means for positioning said check valve releasing means of said break-away member after its separation from the inside of the casing of the top portion so as to release the check valve of a connected external dispensing means; and   d. an intermediate member integrally linking the other end of the top casing and the other end of the bottom casing, said connection maintaining a channel between the two portions.   
     
     
       2. The valve of claim 1 wherein said means for sealably connecting one end of said casing to an external dispensing means comprises an annular cut-out member in the inside walls of said casing and parallel to said one end thereof. 
     
     
       3. The valve of claim 1 wherein said break-away member includes a means for aiding the rupture of said break-away sealing surface. 
     
     
       4. The valve of claim 3 wherein said check valve releasing means is a stem located in the center of said break-away member base. 
     
     
       5. The valve of claim 4 wherein said means for aiding said rupture are a plurality of radial fins extending outwardly from said axial stem to the edge of said base, said fins being non-interfering with said axial stem. 
     
     
       6. The valve of claim 1 wherein said intermediate member is a flange, said flange having a cut-out axial portion to maintain said channel between the linked portions. 
     
     
       7. The valve of claim 1 wherein said means for sealably connecting said one end of said casing to an orifice of a shipping container comprises an annular member on the outer walls of said casing for snap-fitting to said orifice of said shipping container. 
     
     
       8. The valve of claim 1 wherein said stopping means and said positioning means are unitary. 
     
     
       9. The valve of claim 8 wherein said unitary stopping and positioning means comprise a pair of diametrically opposed dog ears, said dog-ears being hinged near said one end of said casing and freely extending through the walls of said casing sufficiently to prevent said check valve releasing means from falling into said container after break-away. 
     
     
       10. A one-piece shipping valve comprising:  a. an integral top portion comprising an open-ended axial tube and an annular cut-out member located in the inner side walls of said tube for connecting one end of said tube to an external dispensing means, the dispensing means including a check valve, the inner side walls of said tube sloping inwardly from said one end and ending in a break-away sealing surface at the other end and the outer side walls of said tube being vertical;   b. a break-away member comprising a circular base; an axial check valve releasing stem thereon; and a plurality of radial fins extending outwardly from said axial stem to the circumferential edge of said base, said check valve releasing stem extending toward said one end of the axial tube of the top portion, said radial fins being non-interfering with said axial stem, and said base being axially positioned within said axial tube of the top portion and integrally connected thereto through said break-away sealing surface, the sealing surface being rupturable, so as to permit separation of said base from the axial tube, on connection of said one end of the axial tube to the external dispensing means;   c. a bottom portion comprising an open-ended axial tube; an annular member encircling the outer side walls of said tube and providing a snap-fit connection of one end of said tube to the orifice of shipping container; and a pair of diametrically opposed dog ears, being hinged near said one end of said tube and extending freely through said tube sufficiently to prevent said break-away member from falling into said container after its separation from the axial tube of the top portion and to position said check valve releasing stem after separation of the break-away member from the axial tube of the top portion so as to release the check valve of the connected dispensing means; and   d. an intermediate flange integrally linking said other end of said top portion and said other end of said bottom portion, said connection maintaining an axial channel between the two portions.   
     
     
       11. In a disposable shipping container for holding fluids under pressure a tamperproof shipping valve, said valve comprising: a. an integral top portion comprising an open-ended casing and a means for sealably connecting one end of said casing to an external dispensing means, the dispensing means including a check valve;   b. a break-away member comprising a base and a check valve releasing means thereon, said check valve releasing means extending toward said one end of the casing of the top portion, and said break-away member being positioned within said casing of said top portion and integrally connected to the inside of said casing through a break-away sealing surface, the sealing surface being rupturable, so as to permit separation of said break-away member from the inside of said casing, on connection of said one end of the casing to the external dispensing means;   c. an integral bottom portion comprising an open-ended casing; a means sealably connecting one end of said casing to an orifice of a shipping container; a stopping means for preventing said break-away member from falling into a connected shipping container after its separation from the casing of the top portion; and a means for positioning said check valve releasing means of the break-away member after its separation from the inside of the casing of the top portion so as to release the check valve of a connected external dispensing means; and   d. an intermediate member integrally linking the other end of the top casing and the other end of the bottom casing, said connection maintaining a channel between the two portions.   
     
     
       12. In a combination of a disposable shipping container for holding fluids under pressure and an external dispensing means connected thereto, the external dispensing means including a check valve, a valve between a filling orifice of said disposable shipping container and said dispensing means, said valve comprising: a. an integral top portion comprising an open-ended casing and a means thereon sealably connecting one end of said casing to said external dispensing means;   b. an integral bottom portion comprising an open-ended casing; a means thereon sealably connecting one end of said casing to said shipping container filling orifice; a stopping means for preventing a break-away member from falling into said shipping container; and a means for positioning the break-away member to release the check-valve of said dispensing means;   c. the break-away member comprising a base and a check-valve releasing means thereon, said base resting on said stopping means and said check-valve releasing means positioned by said positioning means to release the check-valve of said dispensing means; and   d. an intermediate member integrally linking the unconnected end of the top casing and the unconnected end of the bottom casing, said connection maintaining a channel between the two casings.